American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics
ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)
Public Provision and Protection of Natural Resources: Groundwater Irrigation in Rural India
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
(pp. 29–55)
Abstract
This paper evaluates the effects of a public groundwater provision program on water tables in Northern India. I theorize that public provision leads to sustainable use of groundwater when the fixed costs for private well provision are high. I use village-level longitudinal data on aquifers and wells, and exploit the physical and technological limitations of surface pumps that generate a cost difference at a specific water depth to test this model. My findings suggest that public provision can be used as an alternative in scenarios where prohibitive monitoring costs might preclude the use of other regulatory approaches to prevent over-extraction. (JEL O13, O18, Q15, Q25, Q28, Q53, Q58)Citation
Sekhri, Sheetal. 2011. "Public Provision and Protection of Natural Resources: Groundwater Irrigation in Rural India." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 3 (4): 29–55. DOI: 10.1257/app.3.4.29Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- O13 Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products
- O18 Economic Development: Regional, Urban, and Rural Analyses; Transportation
- Q15 Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
- Q25 Renewable Resources and Conservation: Water
- Q28 Renewable Resources and Conservation: Government Policy
- Q53 Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
- Q58 Environmental Economics: Government Policy